1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a method and apparatus for assembling of a marine propulsion system and, more particularly, to a method and apparatus for preassembling a subassembly and then attaching the subassembly to the marine vessel.
2. Description of the Related Art
Many types of marine propulsion devices are well known to those skilled in the art. One particular type of marine propulsion system is a sterndrive system which comprises a driveshaft that extends through the transom of a marine vessel. The driveshaft connects an internal combustion engine with a drive unit. The internal combustion engine is located within the bilge of a marine vessel and the drive unit is located behind a transom of the vessel. The torque transferring shaft extends through an opening that is formed through the structure of a transom of the marine vessel.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,653,270, which issued to Bergstedt on Apr. 4, 1972, describes a tilting and trimming arrangement for a tiltable outboard propeller housing for a boat. A linkage system couples a jack screw mechanism operated by a reversible electric motor to the tiltable propeller housing. The jack screw mechanism is self-aligning by being mounted by a ball and socket and includes a worm drive between the motor and a rotatable nut which screws a threadable rod up and down through the nut. The nut is engaged in operative position by spring loaded detents which yield to release the nut and thereby permit the propeller housing to kick up upon meeting an obstruction.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,289,488, which issued to Weronke et al. on Sep. 15, 1981, discloses a sterndrive gimbal arrangement. In a sterndrive for a watercraft, of the type using a gimbal ring to support the external propulsion unit, a gimbal ring is provided with an upper vertical square bore, a slot across the bore, and clamping bolts to provide full engagement with the square sides of a steering swivel shaft.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,872,531, which issued to Meisenburg et al. on Oct. 10, 1989, discloses a marine sterndrive with through-housings lubrication system. The unit includes an assemblage of a propeller-carrying driveshaft housing, a bell housing and gimbal housing. Mating flow through passages are disposed in the driveshaft housing and bell housing, and a dual control valve system joins the passages at their juncture. The valve system is arranged to be open when the two housings are assembled, but closes automatically when the housings are disassembled to retain lubricant in the separate housing assemblies when the latter are separated for servicing.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,940,434, which issued to Kiesling on Jul. 10, 1990, discloses a marine propulsion unit universal drive assembly with through-bellows exhaust. The device is provided wherein a pair of generally telescoped bellows surround the universal joint and provide an exhaust passage therebetween which communicates between the inboard engine and the sterndrive unit. The inner bellows rotates with the universal joint while the outer bellows is stationary. The bellows are preferably of helical or spiral configuration and the rotating inner bellows forms an exhaust pump.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,466,178, which issued to Inman et al. on Nov. 14, 1995, describes a load relieving external steering system for marine outdrive units. The system comprises a first hydraulic steering ram having a piston partially disposed within a housing, wherein the piston is attached to one side of an outdrive unit and the housing is attached to an adjacent portion of a transom. A second hydraulic steering ram has a piston partially disposed within a housing, wherein the piston of the second steering ram is attached to an opposite side of the outdrive unit and the housing of the second steering ram is attached to an adjacent portion of the transom.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,287,159, which issued to Polakowski et al. on Sep. 11, 2001, discloses a marine propulsion device with a compliant isolation mounting system. A support apparatus for a marine propulsion system in a marine vessel is provided with a compliant member that is attachable to the transom of a marine vessel. In certain applications, the compliant member is directly attached to an intermediate plate and to an external frame member that is, in turn, attached directly to the transom of the marine vessel. The intermediate plate is attached directly to components of the marine propulsion system to provide support for the marine propulsion system relative to the transom, but while maintaining non-contact association between the marine propulsion system and the transom.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,454,620, which issued to Theisen et al. on Sep. 24, 2002, discloses an integrated external hydraulic trimming and steering system for an extended sterndrive transom assembly. A marine propulsion system is provided with a drive unit that is attachable to a transom of a marine vessel and provided with steering cylinder assemblies and trimming cylinder assemblies which are connected to a common location on a structure member, such as a gimbal ring. This arrangement improves the geometric relationship between the steering and trimming functions. In addition, the hydraulic steering system is provided with pressure relief valves that are located at the transom of the marine vessel in order to shorten the distance of the hydraulic conduits extending between the pressure relief valves and the steering cylinders.
The patents described above are hereby expressly incorporated by reference in the description of the present invention.